Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Leauing quéene Marie being dead & gone, you are to vnderstand and note, that the same euening, or (as some haue written) the next daie after the said quéens death,The death of [...]rdinall Poole. Cardinall Poole the bishop of Romes legat departed out of this life, hauing béene not long afore made archbishop of Canturburie: he died at his house ouer against Westminster commonlie called Lambe [...]h, and was buried in Christs church at Can|turburie. This cardinall was descended of the noble house of Clarence,The descrip|tion of cardi|nall Poole that is to saie, of one of the yoon|ger sonnes of Margaret countesse of Salisburie, daughter of George duke of Clarence, brother to K. Edward the fourth. ¶ So that hereby you haue a proofe of the noblenesse of his birth, [...] Fl. ex I. F. [...]rtyrologio. but how barba|rous he was of behauiour, and how vnnaturall in the course of his life (which blemished the honour of his descent) it maie appeare by the order and maner of his visitation in Cambridge, with the condem|ning, taking vp, and burning both the bones and bookes of Bueer and Paulus Phagius, as also by the despitefull handling and madnesse of the papists to|wards Peter Martyrs wife at Oxford, taken vp from hir graue at the commandement of the said cardinall, and after buried in a dunghill: so that in his actions he shewed himselfe (as he is noted) ear|nest in burning the bodies of the dead.Cardinall Poole earnest in burning the bones of the dead. And for fur|ther testimonie of his crueltie, it shall not be imperti|nent out of maister Fox, here to adioine and set forth to the eies of the world, the blind and bloudie arti|cles set out by cardinall Poole, to be inquired vpon within his dioces of Canturburie. Whereby it maie the better appeare what yokes and snares of fond and fruitlesse traditions were laid vpon the poore flocke of Christ, to intangle and oppresse them with losse of life and libertie. By the which wise men haue to sée what godlie fruits proceeded from that catho|like church and see of Rome. In which albeit thou seest (good reader) some good articles insparsed withall, let that nothing mooue thée: for else how could such poi|son be ministred, but it must haue some honie to re|lish the readers tast?
22.1. Here follow the articles set forth by cardinall Poole, to be inquired in his ordinarie visitation, with|in his dioces of Canturburie.
Here follow the articles set forth by cardinall Poole, to be inquired in his ordinarie visitation, with|in his dioces of Canturburie.
22.1.1. Touching the cleargie.
Touching the cleargie.
_FIrst, whether the diuine seruice in the church at times, daies and houres,Articles of the cardinall to be inquired in his visita|tion of Kent. be ob|serued and kept dulie or no.
2 Item; whether the parsons, vicars, and curats, doo comlie and decentlie in their maners and dooings behaue themselues or no.
3 Item, whether they doo reuerentlie and dulie mi|nister the sacraments or sacramentals or no.
4 Item, whether anie of their parishioners doo die without ministration of the sacraments, through the negligence of their curats or no.
5 Item, whether the said parsons, vicars or curats, doo haunt tauerns or alehouses, increasing thereby infamie and slander or no.
6 Item, whether they be diligent in teaching the midwiues how to christen children in time of neces|sitie, according to the canons of the church or no.
7 Item, whether they see that the font be comelie kept, and haue holie water alwaies readie for chil|dren to be christened.
8 Item, if they doo keepe a booke of all the names of them that be reconciled to the dutie of the church.
9 Item, whether there be anie priests, that late vn|lawfullie had women vnder pretensed mariage, and hitherto are not reconciled, and to declare their names and dwelling places.
10 Item, whether they doo diligentlie teach their parishioners the articles of the faith, & the ten com|mandements.
11 Item, whether they doo decentlie obserue those things that doo concerne the seruice of the church, and all those thi [...]gs that tend to a good and christian life, according to the canons of the church.
12 Item, whether they doo deuoutlie in their praiers praie for the prosperous estate of the king and quéens maiesties.
13 Item, whether the said parsons and vicars doo sufficientlie repare their chancels, rectories, and vi|carages, and doo kéepe and mainteine them suffici|entlie repared and amended.
14 Item, whether anie of them doo preach or teach anie erronious doctrine, contrarie to the catholike faith and vnitie of the church.
EEBO page image 116315 Item, whether anie of them doo saie the diuine seruice, or doo minister the sacraments in the Eng|lish [...]oong, contrarie to the vsuall order of the church.
16 Item, whether anie of them doo suspiciouslie kéepe anie women in their houses, or doo keepe com|panie with men suspected of heresies, or of euill opi|nions.
17 Item, whether anie of them that were vnder pretense of lawfull matrimonie maried, and now re|conciled, doo priuilie resort to their pretensed wiues, or that the said women doo priuilie resort vnto them.
18 Item, whether they go decentlie apparelled, as it becommeth sad, sober, and discréet ministers, and whether they haue their crowns and beards shauen.
19 Item, whether anie of them doo vse anie vnlaw|full games, as dice, cards, and other like, wherby they grow to slander and euill report.
20 Item, whether they doo kéepe residence and ho|spitalitie vpon their benefices, and doo make charita|ble contributions, according to all the lawes ecclesi|asticall.
21 Item, whether they doo keepe the booke or regi|ster of christening, burieng, and mariages, with the names of the godfathers and godmothers.
22.1.2. Touching the laie people.
Touching the laie people.
_FIrst, whether anie maner of person, of what [...]tate,Articles of cardinal Poole to be inquired vpon touching the laitie. degrée, or condition soeuer he be, doo hold, mainteine, or affirme anie heresies, errors, or erronious opinions, contrarie to the lawes ecclesiasticall, and the vnitie of the catholike church.
2 Item, whether anie person doo hold, affirme, or saie, that in the blessed sacrament of the altar there is not conteined the reall and substantiall presence of Christ: or that by anie maner of meanes doo con|temne and despise the said blessed sacrament, or doo refuse to doo reuerence or worship therevnto.
3 Item, whether they doo contemne or despise by anie maner of means anie other of the sacraments, rites or ceremonies of the church, or doo refuse or de|nie auricular confession.
4 Item, whether anie doo absent or refraine, with|out vrgent and lawfull impediment, to come to the church, and reuerentlie to heare diuine seruice vpon sundaies and holie daies.
5 Item, whether being in the church, they doo not applie themselues to heare the diuine seruice, and to be contemplatiue in holie praier, and not to walke, iangle or talke in the time of the diuine seruice.
6 Item, whether anie be fornicators, adulterers, or doo commit incest, or be bawds and receiuers of euill persons, or be vehementlie suspected of anie of them.
7 Item, whether anie doo blaspheme and take the name of God in vaine, or be common swearers.
8 Item, whether anie be periured, or haue com|mitted simonie or vsurie, or doo still remaine in the same.
9 Item, whether the churches and churchyards be well and honestlie repared and inclosed.
10 Item, whether the churches be sufficientlie gar|nished and adorned with all ornaments and books necessarie, & whether they haue a rood in their church of a decent stature, with Marie and John, and an image of the patrone of the same church.
11 Item, whether anie doo withhold, or dooth draw from the church anie maner of monie or goods, or that doo withhold their due and accustomed tithes from their parsons and vicars.
12 Item, whether anie be common drunkards, ribalds, or men of euill liuing, or doo exercise anie lewd pastimes, especiallie in the time of diuine ser|uice.
13 Item, if there be anie that doo practise or exer|cise anie arts of magike, or necromancie, or doo vse or practise anie incantations, sorceries, or witchcraft, or be vehementlie suspected thereof.
14 Item, whether anie be maried in the degrees of affinitie, or consanguinitie, prohibited by the laws of holie church, or that doo marie, the banes not asked, or doo make anie priuie contracts.
15 Item, whether in the time of Easter last, anie were not confessed, or did not receiue the blessed sa|crament of the altar, or did vnreuerentlie behaue themselues in the receiuing thereof.
16 Item, whether anie doo kéepe anie secret con|uenticles, preachings, lectures, or readings, in mat|ters of religion contrarie to the lawes.
17 Item, whether anie doo now not duelie kéepe the fasting and embring daies.
18 Item, whether the altars in the churches be consecrated or no.
19 Item, whether the sacrament be caried de|uoutlie to them that fall sicke, with light and with a little sacring bell.
20 Item, whether the common schooles be well kept, and that the schoole maisters be diligent in tea|ching, and be also catholike, and men of good and vp|right iudgement, and that they be examined and ap|proued by the ordinarie.
21 Item, whether anie doo take vpon them to mi|nister the goods of those that be dead, without autho|ritie from the ordinarie.
22 Item, whether the poore people in euerie parish be charitablie prouided for.
23 Item, whether there doo burne a lampe or a candle before the sacrament: and if there doo not, that then it be prouided for, with expedition.
24 Item, whether infants and children be brought to be confirmed in conuenient time.
25 Item, whether anie doo keepe or haue in their custodie anie erronious or vnlawfull books.
26 Item, whether anie doo withhold anie monie or goods bequeathed to the amending of the high waies, or anie other charitable déed.
27 Item, whether anie haue put away their wiues, or anie wiues doo withdraw themselues from their husbands, being not lawfullie diuorsed.
28 Item, whether anie doo violat or breake the sun|daies and holie daies, dooing their dailie labors and exercises vpon the same.
29 Item, whether the tauerns or alehouses, vpon the sundaies and holie daies, in the time of masse, matins, and euensong, doo kéepe open their doores, and doo receiue people into their houses to drinke and eate, and thereby neglect their duties in comming to church.
30 Item, whether anie haue, or doo depraue or contemne the authoritie or iurisdiction of the popes holinesse, or the see of Rome.
31 Item, whether anie minstrels, or anie other persons doo vse to sing anie songs against the holie sacraments, or anie other the rites and ceremonies of the church.
32 Item, whether there be anie hospitals within your parishes, and whether the foundations of them be dulie and trulie obserued and kept; and whether the charitable contributions of the same be doone ac|cordinglie.
33 Item, whether anie goods, plate, iewels, or pos|sessions be taken awaie, or withholden from the said hospitals, and by whome.]
Thus you see of what a malignant nature the car|dinall was: neuerthelesse, of more lenitie than ma|nie other popelings, sauoring of the like lewd leuen of antichristianisme. For at what time two and twentie prisoners for their conscience were appre|hended EEBO page image 1164 and sent vp all togither to London from Col|chester (as maister Fox reporteth in his martyro|loge) and conuented before Boner then bishop of that sée, the said Boner himselfe wrote to cardinall Poole concerning them, as you shall heare.